The Tale of the Twin Stars
by Cirdan
Summary: Birthday fic for Finch. Elros and Elrond fall in love and must cope with the Laws and Customs of the Eldar.
1. Introduction

Standard disclaimer:  All the characters, locations, some quotes, and the initial conception of this world belong to J.R.R. Tolkien, whether it be from Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, or The History of Middle-earth Volumes I-XII.  This disclaimer applies to all subsequent chapters of this fic.

Dedication:  This is _the_ birthday fic for Finch (June 7).  As requested, it involves the marriage part of the Laws and Customs of the Eldar, causes a moral dilemma for the characters chosen, and demand a sacrifice from someone.

**The Tale of the Twin Stars**

**Introduction from Elrond**

            It is only with great reluctance that I have persuaded the author to write the following story.  She dislikes romance and thought the subject of our love too similar to a "Mary Sue."  In our times, we also had a similar term for such a perfect woman: "Tinuviel."  But we lived in a time of fantasy, and Luthien Tinuviel is, indeed, my ancestor, and so any fault in the perfect must be accepted, for such legends are the very founding histories of my birth.  I beg your leniency when reading this story, and the blame for any melodramatic sentiments should be laid on me rather than the author.  But even then, I hope that you will forgive me.  I was in love, and he who sees through the eyes of love can never see clearly.


	2. Chapter 1

**The Tale of the Twin Stars**

**Chapter 1**

            Elrond knelt before Celebrian and said to her, "My heart has turned to you for some time now, and you have generously given your love to me as well.  I would like to ask you to stay with me, to wed with me and become the Lady of Rivendell.  But before you speak your answer, there must be truth between us.  I confess to you now that I have been bonded to another in the past.  But I beg patience from you once more!  Despite my first union, I still wish to wed with you, and my love for you is not diminished because of my love for another.  I hope that you will listen to this tale in full before you judge me.  Indeed, I have longed to tell it to you for some time now, but the pain is still very great, and it was difficult to muster the strength."

            Thirty years had passed since the end of the War of Wrath and the foundation of Mithlond, the Grey Havens, and unlike the Falas, the western shores of Beleriand, the Grey Havens were fully acknowledged to be part of a kingdom, the Kingdom of Lindon, the Land of Music.  Ereinion Gil-galad was recognized far and wide as the High King of all the Elves in Middle-earth, not just of the Noldor, and this was due in no small part to Cirdan's support.  There were some who refused to acknowledge Gil-galad's authority, and many of these had beseeched Elros or me to take the Kingship of the Sindar, for we were direct descendants of Elu Thingol, but both of us refused in deference to our fosterfathers Maedhros and Maglor, the Dispossessed.  By the thirty-first year of the Second Age, most of the disputes over the kingship had quieted.  Those who did not wish to follow Gil-galad simply did not, and Gil-galad was willing to recognize their autonomy.

            It was under this growing peace in the Second Age, then, that the Ekkuiquendi and Ranedain first appeared.  The invitation to sail to the Blessed Realm by the Straight Road was open to all the Eldar, and so it was not uncommon to see small bands of strangers come to the Grey Havens, where they sought out Cirdan the Shipwright (not Gil-galad) to gain passage to the West.  This band was slightly unusual in that there were both Elves and Men traveling together, and their speech was archaic and unfamiliar, though not wholly incomprehensible, for it resembled, in part, Falassian, the speech of the Falathrim.  Their oddity ensured that they were brought before Cirdan with all possible speed.

            Elros and I often attended these audiences in which Cirdan and Gil-galad met with those who either sought sanctuary in Lindon or passage to the West.  Cirdan invited us supposedly because we were the twin sons of Earendil the Blessed--the twin stars of Gil-estel, the Star of Hope--and our very presence bolstered the weary.  But my brother and I both suspected that he encouraged us to attend these audiences because he knew that we had not yet chosen whether to be accounted among Elves or Men.  Our birthparents had chosen to be accounted among the Elder Race, and we had been raised by Elves, and so many assumed prematurely that we would also choose the Fate of the Elves.  But through our fosterfathers, we had seen how immortal life could become a great weariness, and so we understood well the Gift of Man, the choice to go beyond the confines of Arda.  Perhaps only one as old as Cirdan could have guessed our minds in this matter.

            Elros and I found these meetings with the traveling bands endlessly fascinating.  At times, Cirdan would simply nod his head and grant the Elves passage to the Blessed Realm and invite them to rest in the Grey Havens until their ship was ready to depart.  At other times, Cirdan would advise the Elves to reconsider their decision, for Middle-earth was now free from the shadow of the Dark Lord, and invite them to stay in the Grey Havens and rest their weary bodies and spirits until they were ready to decide to leave the land of their birth forever or to tarry yet longer and remain in Middle-earth and aid in its healing.  Elros and I often silently guessed to each other during these audiences whether we thought Cirdan would send the travelers on their way or persuade them to stay in Middle-earth after hearing their full story.

            I must now stray from the story for a moment to explain one other thing.  When I say that Elros and I silently guessed to each other, I do not mean that he spoke to me in my mind.  Rather, we constantly heard each other's thoughts.  Indeed, I have always seen through his eyes, heard with his ears, and known his thoughts, but not until Elros laid down his life did I realize this was unusual.  How was I to know differently?  I was born as one of the rare twins of the Eldalie.  I had never known how others perceived the world around them and did not know that feeling the world in double was not normal.  But more of this is difficult to explain, and the bond that I shared with Elros will become more apparent as the story continues.

            The leader of this band of Elves and Men was a female Elf of somewhat short stature, raven dark hair, and skin as pale as milk.  We were taken with her immediately, less because of her appearance than because of her role as the leader of Elves and Men.  She brought two companions with her, one to represent each race.  They rose when Cirdan entered.  Cirdan clasped hands with her, and if she was surprised by Cirdan's aged appearance, she gave no outward signs.

            "I am Cirdan the Shipwright, Lord of the Grey Havens.  This is Gil-galad, High King of the Elves in Middle-earth.  And these two are Elros and Elrond, the Half-elven sons of Earendil the Blessed."  She nodded to each of us in turn.

            "I am Elenna, daughter of Nuin and granddaughter of Ermon and Elmir," she said.  Though I was skilled in lore, the names were unfamiliar to me.  She gestured to her Elven companion.  "This is Nurvo, kinsman of King Nurwe and Lord Tuvo."  She gestured then to her Mannish companion.  "And this is Makil, descendant of Elmir."

            "It seems that I am in the presence of great guests," Cirdan said.  His eyes were keen as he looked to each of their faces.  "But you do not come seeking passage to the Blessed Realm."  I would've wondered how Cirdan had known such a thing had I been older, but I was still young, and at that time, it seemed to me that the old Elf knew everything.  "Tell me then, what is it that you seek?"

            "When the time came, I was to go west and seek Nowe," Elenna said.  "Now we have come as far west as we can go and still have not found him.  I hope that you might have knowledge of his whereabouts."

            "You have found him," Cirdan said.  "Long ago, by the Waters of Awakening, I was known by that name, though I am called Cirdan now."  Elros and I started.  We knew Cirdan was old, but we had not known that he was born by the starlit meres of Cuivienen.  Gil-galad looked no less surprised.

            Elenna bit her bottom lip then, and it was several moments before she could compose herself to speak.  Still, she was better composed than her companions.

            At last, she said, "If you are Nowe, then I have grievous news to deliver to you.  The Water of Awakening is no more.  The last of its waters evaporated with the searing heat that swept the lands nearly thirty years ago.  To Koivie-neni there is no returning."

            "No…"  Cirdan would have fallen to his knees if Gil-galad had not caught his swaying body.  "By Eru, please, no…"  He turned then in Gil-galad's arms and wept into the young King's shoulder.


	3. Chapter 2

**The Tale of the Twin Stars**

**Chapter 2**

            None of us had ever seen Cirdan utterly without control.  Gil-galad, Elros, and I looked one to another and then back at Cirdan, who had now lost the power of speech and sobbed without hope of cessation.  I must shamefully admit that we were somewhat embarrassed by Cirdan's outburst.  At the time, we didn't understand fully what was happening.

            After several long moments, when it became apparent that Cirdan would not recover, Gil-galad cleared his throat uncomfortably and said to us, "Elros, Elrond, why don't you show Elenna and her companions to the guest quarters?  She and her host are free to stay here in the Grey Havens until we have heard word as to whether or not they'll be granted passage to the Blessed Realm."

            We were quick to take to this task, for it was becoming increasingly uncomfortable to be in the presence of a weeping old man.  We had begun to see faint images of the Water of Awakenings, broken visions summoned by the sound of Cirdan's wracking sobs.

            It was pleasant to lead Lady Elenna to the guest quarters of Mithlond.  Because of the nature of the havens as a departure point to the Blessed Realms, it was not at all uncommon to have hundreds of guests at a time, and the guest quarters of the town were always bustling with life.  The streetlamps were decorated with banners bearing the emblem of the High King.  The fountains were no less elaborate than those in the center of the city.  And flowers of all kinds and colors decorated the sides of the stone paths.  Cirdan had long ago decided that the guests of the Grey Havens were in need of healing and thus had need to be surrounded by beauty and reminders of the loveliness of Middle-earth.

            Elenna was no less fair than the simple beauty of Mithlond.  She was shorter than most Elves, but that did not lend to her an air of weakness or frailty.  Her eyes were as entrancing as the foam-crested waves of the sea.  Her face was more angular than most, but her small, sharp features only made her seem more noble.

            Elrond blinked back the tears from his eyes.  "I'm sorry.  As I said, it's difficult for me, and I can see that it's no less difficult for you."  He was still kneeling before Celebrian, and now he took her hand and kissed it.  Celebrian tried to smile despite her hurt feelings, but her attempt only made Elrond feel guiltier.  He wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with the back of his hand, and this time his tears were for Celebrian, not for the past.  "I'm sorry, Celebrian.  Perhaps it's best if I tell the story with all possible speed rather than draw this out for both of us."

            As you've already guessed, Elros and I quickly fell in love with Elenna.  There was something of her strength and beauty that struck us immediately, and our appreciation for her only deepened as we became better acquainted with her.  We stayed and spoke with her while her companions brought the rest of their people to the guesthouses assigned to them.

            Cirdan had said that Elenna's people did not seek passage to the Blessed Realm, though Gil-galad had assumed that was their reason for coming to Mithlond.  We knew that the Men in her company could not sail West, but what of the Elves?  We asked why Cirdan had guessed that they came not for the Blessed Realm.  Also, she had said that her Mannish companion was descended from Elmir, and it had not escaped our notice that she was said to be the granddaughter of Ermon and Elmir.  We wanted to ask if this was the same Elmir, though we had barely begun to hope that it was so, but she answered the second question in her response to the first.

            The Elves of her company called themselves the Ekkuiquendi, and their ancestors had rejected the summons of the Valar long ago in order to protect Cuivienen from the dark forces of Morgoth, though they knew not their enemy by that name.  Because of this, they were considered Avari, and the invitation of the Valar was not open to their descendants.  Many of the Avari had eventually left the shores of Cuivienen, and some had even entered Beleriand before it was destroyed in the War of Wrath, but these Ekkuiquendi and their descendants continued to dwell only by the birthplace of the Elves and protected it, for it was long ago believed by the leaders of the Elves that their kind would last only so long as the waters lasted.

            One such Elf was Nuin, and he sometimes ventured far in order to scout for enemies that sought the birthplace of the Elves.  In one such time, Nuin found Men in Murmenalda, the Vale of Sleep.  Lord Tuvo, kinsman to King Morwe, perceived with his foresight that Men were awaiting the coming of light, though he did not know it would come in the form of the Sun, and he commanded Nuin not to disturb the Second Children of Iluvatar.  For many years, Nuin returned to the Vale of Sleep to watch Men as they slept, for he loved them even as Orome had loved the Elves at first sight.  At last, unable to restrain himself, Nuin awakened two Men, Ermon and Elmir, and they are the only two Men to have seen the world before the rising of the Sun.

            Nuin taught Ermon, Elmir, and their people to speak, and for this, he is called the Father of Speech.  I said before that these Men were later called the Ranedain, the Wandering Men.  The Edain properly refer only to those descended from the Three Houses that first came into Beleriand:  the House of Beor, the House of Haleth, and the House of Hador.  However, Elenna declared that Beor, the vassal of Finrod Felagund, was descended from Ermon's lineage, and so it may not be incorrect to call them the Ranedain.

            The Ranedain swore fealty to Nuin, and they prospered under the instruction of these Dark Elves, or rather, these Elves of Cuivienen.  In time, the son of Ermon wedded the daughter of Elmir, and that granddaughter later came to wed Nuin.  It was unheard of for an Elf to marry one of the short-lived Aftercomers, for the eldest of Men had already begun to show signs of aging, but Nuin was in love and cared not for the brevity of their union.  From their marriage, Elenna was born, first of the Half-elves.  In the Battle of Palisor, the Battle of Pinewoods, when Men and Dwarves were led by the servants of Morgoth to fight the Elves, only these Houses of Ermon and Elmir fought beside the Elves and remained true.  Nuin was slain in that battle, and thereafter, Elenna took the leadership of the Elves of Cuivienen and the Men of the Houses of Ermon and Elmir.

            As you can surmise, Elros and I were taken aback to discover another Half-elf.  It had never occurred to us that there were any others beside those descended from Beren and Luthien or Tuor and Idril.  It might seem overly simple that we should love Elenna all the more for her lineage, but it meant a great deal to us, for only one of both kindreds could understand the struggle for identity that plagued us.  Indeed, it is no surprise to us that Earendil and Elwing would have come to love each other.

            After the last waters of Cuivienen were destroyed by the fires that ravaged the land during the end of the First Age, Elenna's people set out to tell this news to Nowe, for that was what she had long ago been taught to do if this should ever happen.  Indeed, it is even as the Elves of Cuivienen had suspected, and many already felt the weariness of Middle-earth pressuring them to sail West.  Now that their errand was completed, Elenna knew not what to do with her people.  She thought perhaps to simply settle and dwell in the Grey Havens if Cirdan would give them leave to do so.  They had nowhere else to go.  Of course, when Cirdan recovered from the news of Cuivienen's demise, he accepted them into his town as distant kinsmen.

            Elros and I sought Elenna out often thereafter, and many times, we did nothing more than exchange stories of our peoples, especially those Elves and Men in our lineages.  Yet in the telling of these tales of our great ancestors, who were but legends to everyone else, love bloomed between us.


	4. Chapter 3

**The Tale of the Twin Stars**

**Chapter 3**

            Our love for Elenna deepened with time, and we soon desired to wed with her.  She returned our feelings as well, but she spoke little of it, for she knew not which of us she loved, and yet, I knew she loved us both, for we both loved her as well.

            As I've said before, being a twin is a unique experience, but not until Elros and I parted ways did I more fully understand the oddity of our bond.  Our spirits were joined and had been since our conception, but we had been born into two separate bodies.  I do not think it would have been possible for one of us to love and for the other to not also love.  After all, I could see Elenna through his eyes, and he could also see her through mine.  We were separate individuals, but we were joined closer than even husband and wife.  If we could only love together, how could we marry, for a woman could not have two husbands and more than a man two wives?  We remembered distantly the memory of having met the twin sons of Feanor, and we understood all too well why Amrod and Amras had remained unwed to the death.  Even twin children of Men would not understand, for the spirits of Men were not as strong as those of the Elf-kind.

            We continued thus for many long months, and every day seemed the more painful because neither of us could pursue our heart's desire.  At last, I thought my heart would burst if we could not love.  Of course, Elros had the same thought as I, at the same time, no less.

            "You love her even as I do," I said to my brother.  "Win her affections in return and be wedded to her.  At least one of us should be happy."

            "And what of you, my brother?" Elros said.  "Can we even do such a thing?  Would you not be bonded to Elenna through me?  And even if that were not so, you would not be able to wed another, for your heart would be with her even as mines is."

            "Let us try this, at least," I begged.  "Go to her.  I will stay home, and then we will know if it is even possible for you to wed with her."

            Elros would have objected if his love was any less than it was, but he could not resist the chance to explore his passions.  He went to Elenna.  She objected at first, for she loved me no less than Elros and did not wish to slight me, but Elros said that we had both wanted it to be this way.  After a time, she yielded.  They kissed for the first time, and I felt her soft lips upon mine as if I were myself there.  Elros knew what I felt as well, and his love for me was greater than even his love for Elenna.  He apologized and then fled from her house.

            Thus, our relationship continued fruitlessly.  Even when we did not see Elenna, we yearned to be with her.  She desired just as strongly to be with us, but she could not do so without being with us both.  It seemed there would be no cessation for our star-crossed love.

            At last, pushed beyond endurance, the unthinkable occurred to Elros; worse than even Kinslaying, he thought to slay himself and thus leave me free to be with Elenna.  Elros had always been close to Maedhros, who had been able to tell us apart regardless of what tricks we used, and now he thought to follow the fate of Maedhros.  I was very grateful then to be the twin brother of Elros, for if we were not so close, I would not have known his thought and been able to stop him from doing harm to himself.

            We wept in each other's arms that night and lamented our fate.

            In the morning, I begged to my brother, "Never, ever think to do something so foolish again."  Elros could not answer me, for he knew that I could read his heart.  He did not wish to do something so drastic, but he could not promise that the madness would not again seize him.

            I closed my eyes then and leaned against my brother.  He was said to be the elder, for he was born first from our mother, but—and this we have not spoken of to any save Maedhros, who perceived it even before us and spoke of it when we reached our maturity—we both knew that I had been conceived first, and it is by that mark that Elves usually count.  Thus, Elros was, in a manner, my younger brother, and I have ever felt protective of him since that discovery, for he was more rash than I and given to acting upon his feelings without thought.

            "Elros, your love for Lady Elenna is surely very great if you are even willing to slay yourself so that I might wed with her.  There is no need to commit such a crime against Eru himself."  I took a deep breath and then said to him, "We have long delayed the choice of the Half-elven, but now I will choose.  I will be accounted among the people of Tuor and be judged with Men.  Already, 89 years have passed since our birth.  Beor the Old died when he had lived but 93 years; I will not have long to live now upon this world once my choice is made.  Endure the pain in your heart for a few years still, and when I pass beyond Arda, then you will be free to take Elenna as your wife."

            Elros wept and pleaded with me not to do such a thing.  He did not wish to be separated from me.  He loved me more than her.  And yet, I knew his words were not entirely true, for he had almost separated us in order that I might have the woman we loved.  We argued and cried, but by the setting of the Sun, I had convinced Elros to accept my sacrifice.


	5. Chapter 4

**The Tale of the Twin Stars**

**Chapter 4**

            That morning, I went to the herald of Manwe, Eonwe, who came now and again among the Elves of Middle-earth to give us aid at this time of rebuilding and was, by chance, present in the Grey Havens.  Even as I left to announce my choice to be accounted among the Secondborn, I knew that Elros was going to Elenna.  He did not yet know what he would say to her, but his steps were light despite the shadow of foreknowledge that we would be separated, and he felt hope kindled in him even as he felt the sting of sorrow.

            I found Eonwe breaking fast with King Gil-galad and Lord Cirdan, and they invited me to join them.

            "It is rare to see you without your twin," Gil-galad noted as I sat at their table.  He did not try to guess which of the two I was.  I fought the growing heaviness in my chest and decided not to name which of us was missing.

            "It is a rare day," I said instead.  I sipped the hot chocolate that Cirdan had set before me and took comfort in the warmth that spread through my blood.  I turned to Eonwe.  "I have made my choice.  I wish to be accounted among Man-kind."

            Gil-galad rose to his feet, but before he could speak, Cirdan half-rose and put a restraining hand on his shoulder.  Gil-galad's brow furrowed but he sat back down and looked to Eonwe, who nodded and did not seem so surprised.

            "The Valar have long suspected that at least one of you would choose this fate, for it is said that Earendil's heart was with the kindred of Men and the people of his father but that he chose alike to Elwing so that they would not be sundered," Eonwe said.  "At the beginning of this Second Age, Osse raised a great land from the depths of the waters of the Sea, and it was established by Lord Aule and enriched by Lady Yavanna.  Andor, the Land of Gift, is to be the dwelling place of the Edain as reward for their struggle in the War against Morgoth, and you shall be the King of Men in that fair land that has been prepared for you."

            Elrond could only look at Eonwe in surprise.  He had not expected his decision to be anything more than a personal choice that would leave him dead within a few years.

            Eonwe continued, "You have chosen the Gift of Death and will not be allowed entrance to the Blessed Realm, but if you look far into the west from Andor, you will see a glimmer of Eressea, easternmost of the Blessed Realm, and this memorial of that which might have been if Morgoth had not cast his shadow on the world will be as a comfort to you when mortality grows heavy and you long for rest.  But you will not be weary for many years still, for though the Valar may not withdraw the Gift of Death, they have judged that a great span of years, many times that of other Men, will be granted to you, and when you tire, then you will be allowed to freely choose the time of your Death."

            "El—" Gil-galad paused when he realized that he didn't even know which of the twins had chosen to accept the Gift of Man.  "But what of the Elves who will grieve for you?  Once you choose the Fate of Man, you will never again be able to see any of the Elves have been slain but will be re-embodied in Aman.  Already we have lost Luthien the Fair.  I beg you to reconsider!"  When I did not speak, Gil-galad added, "Surely you do not wish to be parted from your brother!"

            I found no voice for my words.  I shut my eyes tightly and tried not to feel Elros twine his fingers in Elenna's hair.

            "Leave him in peace, Gil-galad," Cirdan said.  "The choice is hard enough without our interference."

            I scarcely heard Cirdan's words.  I stood and looked about me as if in a daze.  It seemed to me that the generous offers of the Valar only worked to solidify my vision of a world without my brother, and such a prospect terrified me.  "I must go," I said and bowed hastily before departing.

            Elros must have sensed my urgent need to speak with him, for he and Elenna met me en route, and we walked together back to our house.  Elros and I spoke no words to one another, but we shared the turmoil in our hearts.

            I had been offered Andor, but I had no desire to leave Middle-earth.  Though the land had changed, it was the place of my birth and youth, and it seemed to me that it had never occurred to the Valar that I might want instead to be a King of Men in Middle-earth, troubled as it might be.

            More than that, as the reality of my choice sank into my heart, I found myself desiring less and less to be sundered from the Elves.  Gil-galad's plea had moved me; I did not wish to be parted from my brother, but also, I wished to someday see again my birthparents, my fosterfathers, my friends from those last, dark days of Beleriand and from my time on the Isle of Balar, some of whom had been slain and others of whom had left for the Blessed Realm.  Indeed, perhaps I would even be able to meet the Half-elven brothers of Elwing, Elured and Elurin, if they were later re-embodied and walked again among the people of the Elves.  Most of all, more rare than even the Half-elves, I wished to meet again the twin sons of Feanor, the only other twins in the history of the Eldar.  All this was possible only for one of the Elf-kind.

            Elros, for his part, had felt a great burden lifted from his heart once he had believed himself free to love Elenna.  Indeed, I wonder if perhaps my love for her came only because of my bond to my brother.  She had been relieved that she did not have to choose between the two of us, but she wished very much to love at least one of us.  Even in that brief moment that they had been allowed to explore their mutual affections, they had felt it right that they should be together.  Now, they wished never again to be parted.

            "I think Elenna and I may have found a better solution," Elros said.  Obviously, there was no "best" solution that could be found.  "Your heart wavers now that you're faced with your decision.  It's not to be unexpected.  The death of one who has the blood of both Maiar and Eldar is truly a thing unnatural and possible only in Arda Marred.  But if it must be, then let me be the one to accept the Fate of Man."

            "No."  The thought of his brother dying was almost more than I could endure.  My heart felt as if it would burst, and tears ran unchecked down my cheeks.  "I won't let you do such a thing."

            "We have no other choice," Elros said, and his voice was filled with sorrow, his eyes with tears.  "The bond between us is special, and I will never regret it, but unhappy are the fates of twins."  We embraced one another and wept, unable to continue.

            After a time, Elenna spoke.  "It is for the best, Elrond.  A woman cannot have two husbands; that law has always been true for all the Quendi, not just for the Eldar.  The consummation of marriage is that of the physical bodies, and so it may well be that your spirit will be a part of our love, but so long as your body remains untouched, you and I will not be wedded."  She knelt by us and leaned her head on both our shoulders.  "I am of the Ekkuuiquendi, accounted among the Avari by your people.  If I am not slain by mischance, I will fade in time."

            "The invitation to the Blessed Realm is not open to her or to the Elves of her following, and it is certainly not extended to the Men in her following," Elros said in a tired voice.  "If the Lords of the West are willing to offer us this new land, Arnor, then I think it best if we accept this gift.  The Elves of Cuivienen will be able to see the shining light of the Blessed Realm from afar and thus comforted, and the Men of her company will be mingled with the remnants of the Edain.  I will rule as the First King of Men, and Elenna will follow my choice and be the Queen of Men.  When our time comes, we will die and accept the Gift of Men."

            "If Elros was to choose to be accounted among the Elf-kind, we might have some short time together, but I would fade in time, and then Elros would sail West to the Blessed Realm and dwell there in sorrow," Elenna said.  "However, if we both choose the way of Men, there is a chance that we will meet again beyond the circles of Arda.  When we are gone, then perhaps your heart will someday turn to another, and you will be able to share with another the marital bliss that is now denied to you."

            "I don't like this at all," I said.

            "But you will agree to it?" Elros asked.  I closed my eyes and nodded.  Elros kissed my brow.  "Thank you, Elrond, for everything."

            Elrond drew forth a silver ring.  "You know the rest of this tale.  Elros became the First King of Numenor, and when he had ruled 410 years, he laid down his life, being then 500 years old.  In all that time, I rarely saw them.  There was little need.  Even such a great distance could not sever my bond with my brother.  We were not as close, but I could still sense him as if he were part of a dream from which I'd not entirely awakened.  He had hoped that I would find another love after he and Elenna passed beyond the circles of Arda, and now I have."  He slipped the ring onto Celebrian's finger and kissed her hand.  "Celebrian, daughter of Celeborn and Galadriel, I beg for the honor of being your husband and swear that, if you accept me, I will cherish and love you from now until the end of Arda and beyond."

---

**Notes:**

Elenna is a legitimate Half-elf.  "There were three unions of the Eldar and the Edain: Luthien and Beren; Idril and Tuor; Arwen and Aragorn." (RotK, p. 388)  This does not mean that there were only three unions of Elves and Men.  Since her father was of the Avari and mother was not of the Edain, she can still exist in Tolkien's world.

The Avari are not invited to go to the Blessed Realm.  "But the promise made to the Eldar (the High Elves—not to other varieties, they had long before made their irrevocable choice, preferring Middle-earth to paradise) for their sufferings in the struggle with the Prime Dark Lord had still to be fulfilled: that they should always be able to leave Middle-earth, if they willed, and pass over Sea to the True West, by the Straight Road, and so come to Eressea—but so pass out of time and history, never to return."  (The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, p. 198)

As a nice added touch, I've made Elrond the first to be conceived because he was conceived in Tolkien's writings first.  However, Elros seems to be the older brother, so he's said to be born first.


End file.
